Obsession

Today the Lord spoke to me. I was reading the book: Face to Face with God by Bill Johnson. I began to feel His warm presence descend upon me, like butter melting on a stack of hotcakes. 

I closed my eyes and put the book down. I focused on God and pushed all other mental and emotional distractions away. I felt such a peace that soft releasing tears were gently falling from my face. I stayed there for a while but didn't want to scare my dad in the other room if I gave in and went too deep. So I allowed myself to marinate there in His presence and take in what I could.  I thought about all of the books I have read over the summer.... Oddly. Then I heard God whisper to me: 

There is much to obsess in, but obsess in Me. 

So if you know me, you might see me as a person who is caught up with many things. We all get caught up in things: video games, book series, events, volunteering, drugs, Facebook, people, organizations to name a few. 

He has been moving my own personal distractions away. I've been trying to figure out why there are still two stacks of schoolbooks on my dresser that are untouched. School begins in two weeks. I've been troubled by my lack of desire to plan, plan, plan. It's not that I haven't thought about it. It's not that I won't do a good job as a teacher next year, but I won't be obsessed  with my career; I am determined to be a Christ follower and be up obsessed  with following Jesus first and foremost! 

I've been feeling weird about the untouched stack on my dresser for a while now. I've been trying to understand what was happening to me. Did I lose my passion for teaching? No!  Did it a higher place or priority in my life? Yes! I now understand what has happened since I have been bathing and soaking in God presence, reading His word and other resources  since January. 

He has given me such a strong desire for more of Him. I've considered that my passion for Christ has trumped all other desires and passions I have had. 

My son often lovingly teases me about my increased "Jesus time" at church and home. Since he got home from the Army, I think he sees how different I am. Sometimes people tease me about my "Jesus friends" aka super friends! Well , I love that term super friends! My super friends are supernatural in Christ. They are obsessed with being Christ followers. They're crazy, they seem to have received the same download from God: There is much to obsess in; but obsess in me. 

Is God speaking to you through this entry? Read Psalm 23 for more insight. The Lord should be the main focus of the Christ follower. 

Food for thought! 

http://mobile.biblegateway.com/passage/?d=O&utm_expid=13466113-7.gxSc2r6FTcGKXIx6trdFNQ.1&search=Psalm%2023&version=MSG&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fmobile.biblegateway.com%2F

Ileana (Illy) Reich sent from my iPhone 

Easter Basket Reflection

 

Dear Friends,

Here is some food for thought. Happy Easter! The Lord is risen. He was risen a long time ago, and He is alive spreading, hope, love, peace, and joy "every day"! While our children, nieces, nephews, and the like are hunting for an Easter basket this morning, let’s remember to take a moment and thank Jesus!  I’m not a naysayer or killjoy of any Easter festivities, but I am smart enough to know that Jesus suffered and died for more than Easter baskets, new outfits, and family dinners, which I like and enjoy.  He went to the cross for our abundantly daily life (John 10:10). He died for you and me!

So on this Easter day, may you take the time to “remember” what the Lord has done for you. May you look at today as any other day that you can serve and thank God. That you can attend church more than once or twice a year as a marked holiday and or calendar appointment because of what He has done means something to you. Some argue that people don’t need to go to church, but if we want to grow in God, we need to allow iron to sharpen iron. We need to be challenged in our thinking. We need people to encourage us and support us; we need the body of Christ too! We need to read our Bibles more and pray too at home. But in all of these things, may we see and remember God’s gift to us: eternal life through His death, burial, and resurrection.  May we grab ahold of what He has done for us.

We nee a savior we can rely on,  and Christ is it. When you go looking for Christ, you will find Him. When Mary Magdalene and Salome went to the tomb, they saw that the stone was rolled away, that Jesus was gone. The angel told them He was not dead, but alive.  So I rejoice in this promise every day and on Easter. God makes Himself known to us in a variety of ways. This helps us to know and remember that we can celebrate life because of Him!

God Bless,

 Pastor Illy

What are You Shaking On?

Let’s just face it; we get down. We inadvertently set ourselves up for these moments, putting on a depressing song, mediating on what is lost or gone, and focusing on what looks like it is not working instead of what is good, honorable, true, honest, just, and lovely. Add a busy schedule; demanding customers at work or school drama, a family crisis, and the common-cold, if you are running yourself ragged; and voilà, you have just set yourself up for a dangerous dance with hell. There are irresistible secretly-seductive repeating thoughts that we are drawn to by the spirit of familiarity, tapping our feet and attending our ears to the beguiling sounds of the “dark world”:  What can I have, take, and do if I take matters into my own hands is the message being sent, but will your inbox see this is as junk mail or spam, or will it embrace the trickery of half-reckoning sounds that are whispering to you and drawing you in?   What are you agreeing on, shaking to, and accepting as truth in your life?

The truth is the “Kingdom of God (heaven) is at hand”, but the kingdom of darkness (hell) is just as real as it has ever been and can be just as near. We can be one thought away from backsliding, giving into an addiction, walking away from commitments, and the like. We wear ourselves out and not taking the necessary precautions; we then find ourselves in cantankerous situations. We can be one thought and moment away from an answered prayer and or remembering an encouraging scripture that breathes life into us. Too often, I hear these comments: I couldn’t help myself or the devil made me do it. I don’t believe that. I believe that God gives us choice and all of the plans in place to succeed. He gave us the Bible to help us see into other people’s lives, having avarice to sin, destruction, impulsive behavior, and stupidity.

 We forget liberating truths in the Word that make our pathways easy, sure, and straight. I’ve been getting up early almost every day since late December, declaring health, healing, and victory over my life and family. I have decided that I will become familiar with the kingdom of heaven and the word of God and that I will allow God to renew and transform my mind by reading and declaring His word. I have decided that I will not take no for an answer, when it comes to the promises of God. I will not measure my successes or failures to the any-man character found in the stories and in real life; instead I will weigh them by Christ and His example. Though I may come up short, I have learned that measuring myself to other people is another trap that I won’t allow myself to step into!

Psalm of Declaration

I bring verbal declarations and praise to God when I find myself in a dank and dreary place. I praise myself right out of that pit. The underworld cannot drag me down with its deceptive somewhat tantalizing calls.

I will refuse to bring incredulous half-praises to my King because I’m all in! I thwart every message coming from any other source and stick like glue to the promises of God. He is propelling me above all hurts and attacks from the enemy, whatever form they are manifesting in.

I engage every day and season with praise on my lips. I embrace the kingdom of heaven that is near me by accepting its language, citizenship, principles, and policies.  I am walking with God in heavenly places here on earth.

References:

Psalm 34:1

Philippians 4:8

Matthew 3:2

Planetshakers-Put Your Hands Up-Fusion 2012

Fusion Rocks- check it out! This year it's in Daytona Florida Nov. 15 & 16!!!

Why Do We Think God is the Punisher?

So if God is love, then why do we think He is the PUNISHER? Isn't this idea messed up? Doesn't sin separate us from God if we turn our backs, but we are never out of his love. And so many people think if they do something wrong, God is going to strike them or cause calamity on them. Is this what God does? No, sin has it's consequences; we reap what we sow. Sin has its pleasures for a season, but it does catch up with people eventually. Yes, we need to live our lives right, but we do this in love towards a God who loves us and we love him back, not because if we don't He will hurt us. This is not the true heavenly father that we read about and hopefully know. God is not the punisher; He is the lover of our souls!

Putting God First & A Message Reviewed

Last night we talked about putting God first before any other relationship, to spend time with God, and to go to for help with decisions and not the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. We talked about Adam and Eve's fall in the garden, and how we can fall from time-to-time too. We became aware of how Adam and Eve's decision in the garden effects us today, as well as that there are people who make bad choices today and those choices effect us. This is why some bad things happen. In the end and also from the beginning, God knew us and loved us!

We learned that Jesus is the sacrifice for all of our sins, that we are no longer under the Old Testament Covenant and that we are forgiven and our relationship with God is restored when we ask for forgiveness. Then our sins are no more in the eyes of God.   In short, we talked about putting God first in everything. Here is the devotion I awoke too from devotion.org!

 Always Put God First

EXODUS 20:3 NKJ
3 "You shall have no other gods before Me.

People can lose perspective and put other things before God,
such as wealth, success, pleasure, or even family.

But a wise person will always put God first.

PROVERBS 3:6 LB
6 In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you
and crown your efforts with success.

Why should you put God first in your life?

First, because God is worthy. He deserves first place. God is
perfect! (And nothing else is.)

Never forget that God knows more than you, and can do more than
you can.

Second, because it puts into motion God's law of sowing and
reaping in your life. God says He will honor those who honor
Him (1 Samuel 2:30). When you put God first you will be
blessed.

DEUTERONOMY 28:2 NKJ
2 "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake
you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:

So it's in your best interest to put God first in every way you
can. Here are some ideas for you to consider.

Before you make a decision, look to God for direction.

Don't ask anyone else for advice before you ask God.

When you have a need, talk to God before you mention it to
anyone else.

When something good happens to you, let God be the first one
you talk to about it, offering Him thanks.

When you receive income, let giving to God come first before
anything else.

Before you eat, first thank God for the food. You don't need to
pray for all the missionaries, or even have to pray out loud.
Just look to your Source and thank Him before you eat.

When you wake up, talk to God before you talk to anyone else.
That doesn't mean you have to spend hours praying. It may just
be saying, "Good morning, Lord!" but always keep God first.

Every day before you listen to the world's news, go to the
Bible and listen to some of God's good news.

MATTHEW 6:33 NKJ
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you.

SAY THIS: God deserves first place in my life.

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To give: http://aDevotion.org/give

Devotions in book form: http://CFApublications.com

Are You Still Eating from the Tree of Knowlede of Good and Evil?

Don't you ever wonder why the apple scenario in the Garden of Eden, why do we need Jesus, and why does He love us so much? Why do bad things happen to God's People if He loves them? Most importantly, Why does He love YOU so much?

When I try to understand this concept, I think about love relationships in general. I do this not to cheapen the great mystery that the Bible talks about. Instead, I do it to give a concrete example that we can relate too. We all want to be loved. We want this person to be one who is faithful, always there for us, one who listens, and one who chooses us over their friends or hobbies. I'm being real here! You know it's true. Girls want guys to drop everything for them because they love their girl so much. Girls crave to be in the personal space of their boyfriend or husband and want to hear the words: I love you baby over-and-over, which means a lot and not in one moment but over many moments. Girls long for an emotionally loving and attentive boyfriend or husband who is a good listener.

Guys want their girls to believe that they (boyfriends and or husbands) know everything and that his gal will cling on every word that he speaks, though often they are few. These great guy-keepers are willing to do whatever it takes for his girl; they would even put themselves in front of a bullet for her. In fact, if he loved her that much, he would save her, he would be willing to die for her. In turn, He wants a girl who does not whore herself out. Forgive me, I had to say it. One who dresses for Him but shows the goods (valuables) in private and after they are married, otherwise it's fornication (sex before marriage-an unholy union that has to be broken in prayer once a break up occurs because the two become one and not three)[Christ is the added ingredient that makes it a holy union}. She is not advertising for every man to see what she has because she knows that her beauty is defined by who she is in Christ and not how she looks. She is modest, not frumpy, and dressed with taste. She saves her virginity for him for their wedding day; likewise, he respects her. This is the plan.

Now if we make a mistake, we can correct it and turn to God, but nowhere in the Bible does it say that fornication is okay. It also says to avoid the appearance of Evil. I am just telling you what the Bible says. So living together is not right either. It looks they are committed and together, but they are not in the eyes of God because they have an unholy union. Why set yourself in a bad situation that is not honored by God. I don't care if you see people living together and sleeping around. It's not normal; it's not what God intended for us. Read the Bible, you'll be informed. Man's plan will never work; it goes back to the choice in the garden. Yet, so many people are so stubborn and would give in and live their life in a way that is NOT pleasing to God and themselves. I'll say it again: there is a way that seems right unto man, but they end there of is death.

And so looking at God's plan, we see the mystery, the goodness of God, and the amazing plan of God revealed in how the relationship between God (male -groom) and Body of Christ (female- bride) was intended to be. God doesn't want us to settle for anything less in our personal relationships because he has experienced a love with his bride so deep that he wants us to experience the same thing with a person on earth, which is a deep holy union of love.

So, we should look for mates (people we might marry, which is anyone we date) that have the characteristics of God or His Bride depending if we are male and female. On the other side of the coin, we need to ask God to help us be that mate that God has designed us to be. This can happen after you marry, though it will cause more conflict, or you can ask God to show you today how to be that person towards Him (God) first! This means if you are in relationship right now that is off balance, it's time for you to correct that relationship a.s.a.p.

Putting God first and learning to be a good spouse (husband or wife) to God is your first role BEFORE marriage. Adam and Eve made some choices in the garden that effect you and me today. Though God designed us to love Him and live for Him, the fall in the Garden of Eden set things out of order. If we are honest, we see that we are still falling short today. He gives us chances for us to show that we love Him throughout the day. How we love God or don't love enough is often revealed in our daily choices. And you can say yes to God and draw a line in the sand and make it right.

There is always a choice before us: God wants us to live for Him, fellowship with Him, and love Him above all things. This is how he set the plan up from the beginning. Because of man's fall in the garden (Old Testament), Jesus came back to save us and to restore our relationship back to the Father {God}(New Testament). It is finished! Once we really get this, we can all come to God as we are and find forgiveness. Once we are truly restored, people, drugs, drama, money, etc hold no power over us because we love God more than anything. We set our life up around Him. That’s all He wanted from the start of time: Love. That is is who He is and was since the start of time: Love!

I mean come on, Mary was pregnant and even then there was no room in the inn to have a baby born- Jesus the Son of God is getting dissed from the get go. There was no room for Jesus to be born; yet God provided a humble stable. Yes, it was part of the plan, but I am making a point. You know how you feel when someone treats you like that! And His feelings get hurt over and over when we dis Him like that. It makes Him so sad! Is there room in your heart for Jesus? Is it open to Him? I mean all the places. Hmmmm. I'll just keep this lust over here, or this nasty rap swearing music on the side, or I'll just sleep around, whose gonna know. I'll hide these rooms from God. NOT- He is bigger than Santa, He sees it all! Before you know it, you'll have more rooms of sin and distraction and less of Jesus. And you guessed it, you'll fall out of love- you'll try to divorce, break-up whatever, but God never stops loving you and running after you. That’s the world’s love; He doesn’t love like that!

In the book of Genesis, it says that God walked in the cool of the garden. This means that Adam and was in the Garden, fellowshipping with God though Adam could not see Him, and spending lots of time with Him. This word fellowship means to be friendly and to get to know one another. God was full of such love and desire to set His love upon someone that He made Adam for fellowship with Himself. Later, He created Eve for Adam because he saw and understood that was still lonely and needed a helpmate. This reveals the Love and sympathy of God towards his people. He was also generous in giving them a wonderful place to live. God saw that it was good, but He did have the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden. This tree tested their true heart desires. They listened to a serpent instead of God. They were tricked, but this choice revealed that they were not totally committed to God. This one mistake kicked them out of the garden.

Eating the apple was bigger than the action. It meant that now they would go to the tree for knowledge and fellowship. They would no longer revere (honor) God as all knowing. In fact, as soon as they did this they realized they were naked. Before that, there was no shame in their pure living quarters.

And so we come in time today, and see that man still needs to be reconciled back to God, that this love relationship must be restored. Though God is wooing us into relationship because He loves us from the start of time, we have a choice whether to love Him or love Him back. I don't even understand why people pretend to come to church and love God. Stop it. Draw a line in the sand and live for Him. Just stop it already! Didn’t he love you enough for you to serve Him?

How do your choices line up with God's plan? How do you or do not love God by your choices? The beautiful thing about God's plan is that He sent his son Jesus. He sent his own Son down to earth as a baby and later, allowed Him to be crucified so that that the God of the Old Testament would no longer have to require yearly sacrifices. His Son became the sacrifice for you and me.

Whenever we make one of these bad choices by accident, when we fall short like Adam and Eve, Jesus becomes that sin for us when we repent and we are made right with God. This happens at salvation, but it should also happen when we consider our actions and compare them to what God wants for us and the Bible.

 We can take this a step farther and learn to forgive others when we are wronged because we understand how Christ felt when He was mistreated, yet He still went to the cross. He said, "Father forgive them; they don't know what they are doing!" There are people out there doing things to you or have done things to you that are wrong. They did not wake up and say today I am going to molest or rape so and so. Today I am going to lie or spread drama about so and so. They are being driven by the serpent; they need to be restored back to God.They made a choice; you were effected by it. God still loves you and wants to reconcile with you and them.

 

If you say that God does not love you like that and that this is all about Adam and Eve and that He doesn’t love me because bad things happened to me or people in my life. You are wrong, the Bible tells us in the book of Psalms that He created you in your mother's womb and that He knows all of the hairs on your head. God is love from the start of time until now, and He is still looking for a people who will love Him with their entire life. What does that mean to you? Think about what you want in a relationship. God says me first young man, young lady. He wants you to fall in Love with him all over again. For some, you feel God tugging at your heart and know that right now you are making the first step and saying, God I know you died for me and my sins; I get it today; I really get it! I need you and want to be in right relationship with you. I have fallen and sinned, but right now, I ask you into my heart for real. I'm not just scared that I will go to hell if I don’t; I see that there is so much more to your Love. Come in Lord Jesus and be my first love. Right now in Jesus name. I want to walk in real loving relationship with You Lord.

 

If we can wrap our hearts around His Love, we can make a difference in this world because of His love working through us. You can’t do that until you make things right!

 

Please email me at illyguana@hotmaill.com with any comments etc.

 

Pastor Illy